49ers’ physical safety will legally change last name to ‘Hitner’

At some point this season, he will be the 49ers safety formerly known as Donte Whitner.

After tweeting his intent Wednesday morning to legally change his last name to “Hitner,” Whitner, who is known for his physical style, later confirmed in the locker room that, yes, he’s serious about removing the “W” from his last name. In fact, on Tuesday he paid a $27 fee, mailed the paperwork to his lawyer in his native Ohio and is hopeful the back of his uniform will reflect the change by Sunday’s game against the visiting Texans.

Realistically, though, he expects the process to take a bit longer.

“If you ask the fans around San Francisco and the Bay Area – anyone that’s a fan of me — they already call me Donte Hitner anyways,” Whitner said. “Everything we do is for the fans, right? It’s all entertainment. We all understand that. It’s entertainment, but at the same time that’s what I do. That’s my game … That’s what I do. That’s my last name and removing a letter makes it pretty cool.”

Whitner wanted to change his last name this summer, but his mother, Deborah Robinson, didn’t approve. He recently broached the subject again after he was penalized for illegal hits in the 49ers’ last two games. This time, his mother gave him her blessing.

In Week 3, he was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct for a hit on Colts running back Ahmad Bradshaw that the NFL later ruled was legal. On Tuesday, he was fined $21,000 for last week’s shoulder-to-helmet shot on Rams wide receiver Chris Givens which drew an unnecessary roughness penalty.

Whitner, who is appealing the fine, prides himself on clean play. Before Tuesday, he said he hadn’t been fined for an illegal hit since his rookie season in 2006. This week, he announced, on Twitter, that he’s selling T-shirts emblazoned with the phrase “#LegalHitner.” His name change, he said, can be interpreted as a protest.

“It’s a protest the right way,” Whitner said on a conference call with the Houston media. “I’m not out there head-hunting and hitting guys helmet-to-helmet. I’m doing it the legal way. I want to show that guys can hit hard and bring fear out doing it the legal way.”

Asked about his teammate’s name change, linebacker Patrick Willis smiled, “It certainly fits him. And, for whatever reason, he chooses to do it, we’re always about supporting one another and being behind one another. So if he changes it to ‘Hitner,’ if we do happen to call him Whitner I hope he forgives us.”

Whitner’s name change figures to cost more than $27. Per NFL rules, he must buy all the league-licensed “Whitner” jerseys once his last name has been legally changed.

Whitner said he’s willing to buy those jerseys. To a point.

“Depending on how many there are,” he said. “I haven’t really seen a whole lot around Candlestick. I wouldn’t think there should be (too many). Unless somebody’s hiding them.”